Keepin' yer black powder guns workin' for a whole cowboy match is
as important for the black powder cowboy as keepin' yer saddle on
straight is durin' round-up. I've seen many a black powder shootist
step up to the line and drop the hammer on a cap with the worst of
results....silence. Cartridge shooters who prefer to fill the case
with the black stuff are not immune to black powder peculiarities.
More than once, I've seen a shooter makin' smoke, and suddenly have
the cylinder bind from fouling, unable to complete the course of
fire. By paying attention to a few details, you can keep them smoke
wagons workin' all day. Let's face it, during a cowboy match, we
probably shoot more black powder in a day than the cowboys of old
did during a year. First, make sure your pistols are ready before
you leave home. I begin by thoroughly degreasing my pistols with
something like Gunscrubber or Gunk-Out, which flushes out all
protective lubes and evaporates, leaving no residue. On my cap n'
ball revolvers, I remove the nipples, and using a pipe cleaner
dipped in denatured alcohol, I wipe the inside of the nipple
completely. Once dry, the nipple is visually inspected to make sure
the opening is completely clear. Every surface that makes contact
with other metal is wiped with a patch soaked with Gunscrubber.
Before the cylinders are replaced, I cock the hammer and drop a
little Breakfree on the trigger and hammer pin, and work the action
a bit to spread it around. When I shoot cap n' ball, I find that
nothin' keeps me shootin' all day like Pennzoil 705 Multi-Purpose
White Grease. I put a dab on the threads of the nipples before
replacing them (be careful not to get any in the nipple). Makes it
easy to get 'em out at the end of the day. I also coat, liberally,
the cylinder pin. I find that the white grease acts as a seal,
keeping powder fouling off of the pin, allowing it to rotate freely
all day long! On cartridge pistols, I coat the cylinder pin and
bearing surfaces of the cylinder with a little break free, adding a
drop or two between stages to the same areas. Now I'm at the match
and shootin' away. I seldom, if ever, have to remove the barrel
from my cap n' ball pistols since I started using the Pennzoil
grease. I will punch out the bore about mid-match but that's it.
Before loading each time, I use a nipple pick (a piece of stiff
wire) inside each nipple to ensure it is not obstructed. On my
cartridge guns, I find that fouling is more of a problem. About
every two stages, I remove the cylinder, and with a brass
toothbrush saturated in Ol' Thunder Blackpowder Solvent, I brush
the cylinder face and the entire inside of the pistol frame. Takes
about 60 seconds, and I wipe it all dry with a towel. With a round
nylon brush, I soak it in the Ol' Thunder and quickly brush out the
cylinder chambers and bore. I have another cleaning rod already
handy and use a patch or two to dry em' out. Another drop or two of
Breakfree, and it's shootin' time again. The whole cleaning process
only takes about 3 or 4 minutes, and I have never had a pistol fail
to function. I will repeat the process two or three times during a
match and just before leaving at the end of the day (makes the
final clean up a snap!). Make sure you bring a pair of needle nose
pliers if you shoot cap n' ball, and for the rare occasion when a
cap falls into your lockworks (and someday it will), a good set of
screwdrivers to remove the trigger guard and grip frame is a
necessity. I should mention that when I shoot cap n' ball, I use an
over powder felt grease wad, and after seating the ball, I use a
commercial grease patch squeezed right from the tube to seal the
ball. This dual lube approach keeps foulin' soft and yer pistol
shootin' straight on, in addition to reducing the chance of a
chain-fire. A final word about The Original Ol'Thunder Blackpowder
Solvent. It's made by Ol'Thunder Mfg, 3120 John Olsen Ave, #27301,
Hillsboro, OR 97124, phone 503-690-0503. At $4.75 a quart retail,
it can't be beat! I pour it into one of the wife's plant misting
spray bottles, and spray it on everything that I clean with or
needs cleanin'! It's a light blue color, almost odorless, and
cleans like a champ. Only place I've found it is in Sisters, OR, so
ya might want to give em' a holler. My rifles are far less finicky.
I flush em' out with Gunscrubber like the pistols prior to the
match. A couple of drops of Breakfree on all bearing surfaces (not
too much, ya don't want to soak your stock in any oil). Not all
match stages require a rifle, so I punch the bore with a little
Ol'Thunder after each use to maintain accuracy. That's it. With a
little preparation before a match, and a little cleanin' during,
your equipment ought to function like new, all day long. Adios for
now amigos.
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